


Underneath the Surface

by strangled



Series: Adventures of Bughead [3]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Abuse, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Christmas, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-19 18:16:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13129272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangled/pseuds/strangled
Summary: Look at Jughead Jones and you might be able to guess what troubles lie underneath his skin, what causes the bags under his eyes or the occasional bruises on his skin. Look at Betty Cooper and you would never guess what she has been through or seen. You would never guess where the scars came from or how the crescent-shaped marks on her palms got there. But there's more to what you see than most people think.





	1. feel my pain

Both Jughead and Betty knew that Christmas as the Cooper's house was insane.

She knew from the 24 years she had spent with her family, Jughead knew from the 7 years that the Andrews, Coopers, and Jones had spent their Christmases together.

That was, of course, when they still were friends. When both Archie's and Jughead's parents were still together before FP had lost his job and begrudgingly moved to the southside with his little family of 3, soon to be 4. It was before things seemed to be not so perfect in all three families. Mary Andrews was caught having an affair and moved to New York. “It's meant to be.” she had told Fred with teary eyes and a fake smile, then left behind her son.

It seemed Jughead had gone through the same thing with his family, but at least Mary stayed in contact with her son. When he was only 9, after FP's addiction had begun, Gladys took 2-year-old Jellybean Jones and left without a moment of hesitation. He could almost see Mary Andrews in her eyes as she knelt in front of him the morning of before she had fled. “Your father needs you, Forsythe.” she had said before he got out of the car to join his friends, ignoring his wince at his real name. But he had no clue what it meant until he came home to his father sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. “I'm sorry.” he had muttered, over and over “I'm so sorry Jughead.”

That had been almost 15 years ago, and Jughead still couldn't think about it without teary eyes.

He had gone 15 years without a proper Christmas, and Betty was determined to change that. She had spent so long preparing for it, constantly reminding her mother of their extra visitor. Alice hadn't been thrilled, but Betty knew that deep down, she had always cared for the boy. Constantly sending her with extra food or clothes for the boy. “God knows he needs it,” she said most of the time, and Betty didn't miss her watery eyes every time she did.

So, as Alice's Christmas traditions had always gone, she had insisted that Betty arrive on the 23rd just as her sister was, and they stay there through the 25th just as they had every year.

Jughead didn't understand why they needed to stay all 3 days, especially when his trailer was only 30 minutes away and Betty's apartment 15. But Betty had smiled and rolled her eyes, telling him her mother had insisted and rested her hand on his thigh. Her voice was enough to convince him, let alone her wide meadow green eyes fluttering as they looked up at him under her thick lashes.

He already knew that he was done for the moment she had started talking.

So, they arrived late the night of the 23rd, with Jughead carrying in their duffel bags and Betty running in to greet her niece and nephew with a huge smile plastered on her face. Jughead smiled at the sight, loving how good Betty was with children. How nurturing and caring she was, gentle and sweet.

He was in deep.

–

Christmas Eve went by in a flash of white.

Betty woke up to Jughead and Eliza sitting on the sill of her window, staring out at the snow that was falling to the ground. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of Jughead holding the two-year-old in his arms, pointing to the snowflakes and talking softly to her, his arms wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling. Betty tried to turn as discreetly as possible onto her side to get a better view of the two without disturbing the precious moment she felt so lucky to witness.

She dug her hand under her pillow, searching the floral sheets for her phone. When she finally found it, she took a few pictures of them and sent them to Veronica, hoping Veronica wasn't about to post them everywhere and spoil her fun. Once she felt satisfied, she shoved her phone back under the pillow and rolled over, soon falling asleep again, a smile still on her lips.

–

The next time she woke up, it was to Jughead kissing her, and she smiled against his lips, still half asleep.

“Morning, sleeping beauty.” he murmured and she just grinned at him and pulled him back down to kiss him again.

She could barely restrain a moan when his hands began to wander, sliding under her shirt.

“Jug.” she groaned “We can't and you know it.”

He was about to reply when they heard somebody clear their throat from her doorway and Jughead quickly rolled off of Betty, who flushed scarlet when she saw her mother standing in front of her.

“Jughead Jones,” she said, doing her best to sound angry, but Betty could hear her playful undertone. “I told you to wake my daughter up, not assault her.”

Betty laughed as she watched Jughead stutter and blush, trying to find the right words to say.

“Sorry Mrs. Cooper.” he finally decided on, and Betty couldn't help but laugh again, watching her mother smile and leave the doorway, yelling at her as she left.

“And get dressed, Elizabeth.”

–

By noon, Alice had left the house with the twins, telling Polly and Jason that they needed to relax, and she needed some quality time with the grandchildren she got to see so rarely.

Jughead and Betty spent this time locked in her room, wrapping gifts and watching old movies on her tv. The two were too wrapped up in each other to notice the rest of the world. Hal wasn't sure how to feel about it, to see his youngest daughter obviously so love-stricken and oblivious. Polly loved the sight, though. She loved seeing her sister happy and in love, especially with someone that she knew would take of her, somebody who wouldn't hurt her. Because after all, she understood her father's fear of how this would all end if it did. She understood because all of the Cooper's had the same fear as they watched the youngest Cooper sibling with her boyfriend.

Betty didn't see the worried glances from her mother, who was the most worried out of all the Coopers. She kept a constant eye on them, and if she was honest, it was the only reason she had made them stay the full three days. She wanted to see the relationship between the ex-Serpent and her daughter. She was relieved with how at ease Betty was with Jughead, and while part of Alice told her it was only because she had known the boy since she was born, she knew that it went deeper than that. So, she let them be. Maybe they were just too worried.

Jughead, however, saw the looks on her families faces, even Jason's, and couldn't help but wonder what they were for. Betty seemed fine, and while he couldn't help the swell of sadness that lingered in his heart every holiday, he was happy to be with the Coopers for the holidays, even if the majority of their two days before the holidays consisted of him and Betty in her room, wrapping gifts for the other family members. On multiple different occasions, he had insisted that they go and join the family, but she just smiled and pulled the next gift out of her seemingly bottomless bag.

He wasn't sure why she was avoiding her family, but he did his best to ignore it and enjoy the time he got to spend with her.

–

Alice and the twins didn't return until six, and when they did, they came back with pizza and a bunch of holiday movies, declaring a family movie night.

Betty just smiled and dragged Jughead back up to her room to change into pajamas and gather blankets and pillows, but he could see the excitement that was sparkling in her eyes.

They ended up on the loveseat, the two of them slightly too close for comfort on the small chair. He still wasn't able to overlook the glances and stares from her parents and older sister. He did his best not to make eye contact, doing his best to focus on the movie that was playing or Betty who was falling asleep in his lap, but it was difficult when at least one of them was always looking. Finally, he gave up on trying to pay attention, and just let his mind wander, not knowing it would end where it always did.

His 16th year of Christmas without his sister or mother. His 2nd without his dad. He missed his family, as much as he hated to admit it. He missed his alcoholic father and the shitty gifts he seemed to pull out of his ass last minute every year. He missed the mother that abandoned him, and he missed his little sister most of all. His father had always been there for him, through everything, or at least he tried to be. The only thing that FP had never been able to help his son with was his mother and sister. The little girl he hadn't seen in 16 years and the mother who never cared for him in the first place.

By the time the movie had ended he hadn't noticed until Betty lifted her head out of his lap, speaking his name softly. He had just blinked at her, before realizing what was going on and he forced himself to smile at her despite the tears building in his eyes. He took her hand and grabbed the pillow from behind him, and let her lead him back to her room.

–

He had thought she was asleep when the first tear fell; and before he knew it, he laid with her wrapped in his arms, crying silently.

She suddenly sat up and turned to face him, causing him to hide his face, doing his best to wipe the tears off of his face before she saw them in the dark of her room.

“What's wrong?” she whispered to him, her hand searching under the blanket until she found his.

“Nothing,” he replied, pulling her back down and kissing her “go back to sleep.”

He could tell that she wanted to argue, but he shook his head and held her tighter, taking a shaky breath and praying that he wouldn't lose her too.

–

“This was a horrible idea.” he tells Betty as she pulls him into the kitchen with her mother “I'm going to mess this all up.”

“No, you won't,” she replies, and plants a kiss on his cheek “We both know you'll do fine.”

“But good enough for your mother?”

She just smiles and nods, and he sighs but decides that enough for him, even if he doesn't want to be up at six in the morning, Betty promised her mom that they would help her start cooking before they opened presents.

Alice just rolled her eyes at his whining and started pulling out ingredients.

“If you two can stop flirting for five minutes, I need you to start the cake,” she said, looking at the couple before her.

“Mom,” Betty replied with a laugh “I'm sure we can do both fine.”

They couldn't. By nine, they were both covered in flour, as well as the rest of the kitchen, and Alice had gotten caught in the crossfire. She wasn't sure if she wanted to yell or laugh. She had finally decided on the both, yelling at the two to clean their mess up with had quickly dissolved into a laugh at the look of shock on their faces when she picked up some flour and threw it back them.

All that had started was a food fight, which, had hit their next innocent bystander, Chic Cooper, who had just walked through the door and got hit with a flying cupcake that Jughead had thrown. That hadn't helped them much, however, because his eyes gleamed with mischief as he picked it up off of the ground, throwing it back at his mother.

Soon, the four of them had the kitchen in pieces, food all over the ground and walls, and Jughead almost couldn't process that this was actually happening, especially since he had never seen a speck of dust in the home of Alice Cooper, let alone a full-on food fight. A food fight that hadn't stopped until Hal came bounding down the stairs with his granddaughter in one arm, too see his kitchen covered in flour, cupcakes, and crumbled pieces of cookies. For a second, the four participating could have sworn that he was about to join them, but he laughed and smiled, turning away after a moment, telling them to clean both their mess and their selves.

Both Jughead and Betty already knew that this would definitely be a Christmas to remember.

–

Just as Cooper tradition had gone since Polly was born, presents were opened at noon. Chic handed his presents out first, giving one to everyone but Jughead, who he hadn't known would be there. Jughead just smiled and waved it off, telling him it was fine, he had all he needed anyways and wrapped his arm around Betty. Elliot and Eliza went next, bursting with joy at every present that they opened and giving out random hugs. Jughead smiled while he watched the two, remembering his last Christmas with his baby sister, who had spent nearly the entire Christmas following him around and clinging to him, almost as if somehow, the two-year-old knew what was to come.

He leaned over and whispered to Betty that he'd be back before excusing himself, going to the Cooper's back patio. He sat down on their bench and sighed, trying to regain his composure as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit Gladys' contact. The ringing seemed to go on for forever before he heard his mother's voice come through.

“Hello?” It was obvious that she still hadn't saved his number, the one he had been calling her with for nearly 11 years.

“Hey Mom,” he said, trying to ignore the tears already building in his eyes.

“Oh.” she sighed, almost as if she were disappointed in him for something and he couldn't help but wonder for what this time, it wasn't as if she knew what he did with his life. “I suppose you're calling to talk to your sister.”

“Once every year Mom.”

“You have five minutes.”

“I know Mom.”

There was a moment of silence before he heard Jellybean's voice, as happy and excited as it had been when she left.

“Jug! You called!”

“Of course I did JB.” he laughed, wiping at the tears in his eyes “I'd never miss my call, and you know it.”

“Yeah, I do.” he didn't miss the way her voice had lost some of the enthusiasm from only moments before.

“So, how's your Christmas going?” he asked, trying to lift the mood

“It's going amazing, Jug! I mean, the same as every year, but it's amazing every year so.” she ended with a laugh which filled him with a mixture of sadness and happiness for his little sister. “How's your going?”

“Mine's been pretty good, JB. Not spending it alone this year, so that's nice.” he said with a laugh before continuing “No, but it really is going good JB.”

“That's good, I hate it when you spend them alone.”

“Me too.”

He heard Gladys shout from the back that he had a minute left and he sighed, trying to ignore his watery eyes.

“You know what that means.” he sighed

“Yeah,” JB whispered. “I wish it didn't have to be like this.”

“I know, JB, neither do I.”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you too, JB. I'll call you next year.”

“Okay. I love you, Jug.”

He couldn't stop the tears by now.

“I love you too, JB.” he choked out, and then the line went dead, and he briefly wondered how he had ever considered Gladys his mother.

It was another 15 minutes before he went back inside.

–

The rest of the day passed much to fast to Betty, but Jughead was relieved. Betty had seemed to notice his anxiety and ended up holding his hand through the majority of the day. By 8, they had their stuff packed to go home and Jughead couldn't wait to be back in the comfort of his own home with his girlfriend. He said his goodbyes to the Coopers and let Betty say hers before he grabbed her hand and nearly dragged her out to the truck, doing his best to smile as they got their stuff into the back of his truck.

The drive home was silent, but he did his best to let Betty know that it wasn't her fault. He held her hand and would give her small smiles trying to assure her that it wasn't her after seeing the look on her face as they drove.

Once they got home he pulled their bags out of the car as she went inside to prepare for bed. He dropped the bags beside the front door and headed for the bedroom. He took off his pants and laid in bed, listening to the shower run, and he was asleep before Betty was even in bed with him.

–

The next night, he wasn't nearly as lucky. By midnight, he was still wide awake, his thoughts already running and the tears already gathering in his eyes. He looked at Betty sleeping next to him and leaned over to kiss her forehead before dragging himself out of bed and to the Whyte Wyrm.

–

Betty didn't wake up until around 2. Turning over, she reached for Jughead and all she found was an empty, cold bed. She got out of bed, pulling the blanket around her and began walking through the trailer.

She found Jughead on the couch with his head in his hands, and although she couldn't see his face, his shoulders shook and she could hear him crying. She walked over to him and sat next to him, already smelling whiskey. Not only was he crying and alone, but he was drunk too. She ran a soothing hand along his back, trying to do her best to coax her boyfriend.

“Juggie.” she whispered to him in the darkness “Jug, what's wrong.”

He didn't respond, only merely shook his head and continued to cry into his hands.

“Jug, look at me.” he didn't move “Jug. C'mon, look at me.” Slowly he lifted his head and her heart broke at the sight. She pulled him in for a hug, holding him tighter than usual before she pulled back. “What's wrong, Juggie.” She asked, lifting her hand to wipe the tears from his cheeks.

“I'm sorry, Betty.” he choked out instead of answering and she shook her head and took his hands in her own before replying.

“You have no reason to be sorry, now what's wrong Juggie?”

He started to cry again and Betty stayed beside him, occasional squeezing his hands or wiping away his tears until he was ready to talk.

“I just miss- miss her so much, Betty.” he hiccuped through his sobs. “I haven't seen her in- in so so long.” She nodded and encouraged him to go on “My mom only- she only let's me talk to her for- for five minutes once a year and- and with my dad in rehab and Arch- Archie spending his Christmases with Ronnie this is- this is the first Christmas I haven't been alone in almost three- three years and I guess I was a little overwhelmed but- but I just wanted you to have a good holiday.”

“Juggie, baby.” her heart broke at his words “My holiday was amazing just because you were there with me, I couldn't ask for more.” She brought him in for another hug and blinked away the tears in her own eyes. “And with me around, you will never have to have another Christmas alone, Juggie. I promise. I won't allow it to happen, never again.” She felt him nod against her shoulder and she pulled away to help him stand. “Now, c'mon, you need to sleep, it's late and you'll feel better in the morning.”

He didn't respond, just simply nodded, and she led him back to their bed and didn't go back to sleep until he was asleep.


	2. and i will feel yours

Seven months into their relationship, and Betty Cooper had never been happier, never more content.

 

Now it was February, and the glistening white of the snow outside made Betty smile. She thought it was slightly coincidental. Such a beautiful night, the romantic scene you'd see in any Christmas movie, and it was Valentine's Day.

 

She had always known that Jughead was not one to celebrate Valentine's Day. He said it was pointless, stupid. But, here they were anyways, a date he had put together himself in his rundown little trailer, sitting in his childhood bedroom that had barely changed since he was nine. She could smell dinner cooking in the oven, and while she knew that they should be out in the living room to make sure his old stove didn't burn down the trailer, she preferred it where she was, wrapped in Jughead's arms, his comforter draped over the two of them. His room was warmer than the rest of the house, but she knew that was only because Jughead had put a miniature heater in there when the actual heater began to sputter every time he turned it on. She knew that it would be much warmer in the apartment her parents bought for her, the one that she was most likely wasting money on, but she preferred it here, it felt so much more safe and comforting. So much more like home, with the smell of cigarettes from the years that FP had lived here, old candles that Jughead had found in the Andrew's attic that Fred told him to keep.

 

Sometimes, she wondered if it was just her, if it was just her heart that was so set on the place that Jughead had lived for so long, or if it was like that for others. If the sense of security was something that came to everyone who came into the trailer.

 

Jughead moving behind her snapped her out of her thoughts, and she went to sit up when she discovered that he was just shifting closer to her, pulling her closer to his body, and she couldn't help but lean back into his warmness, relishing in the feeling. She knew that there was nothing that she would rather have in this moment, nothing more than she wanted. She was more than satisfied with just laying in his bed, wrapped in his arms, safe and content.

 

Then it all happened to fast.

 

He murmured something, low and sweet, and she asked him what he said, turning in his arms so she could see his face. A blush spread across his face, and she saw his eyes lower. Then, the words left his mouth again, soft, smooth as honey. And if it weren't for the feeling rushing to the surface, the blood suddenly boiling in her veins, the wetness in her eyes, she's sure she would have melted.

 

“I love you.” he had whispered to her in the darkness, on that cold February day

 

But things were different.

 

She wanted nothing more than to whisper it back.

 

But the other words prevented her from doing so.

 

And suddenly, that February day got a lot colder.

 

She couldn't help herself as she sat up abruptly, trying to stop the tears from leaving her eyes, trying to stop herself from saying too much. She untangled herself from his arms, and got out of his bed, nearly falling over as she rushed to stand.

 

“I'm sorry,” she whispered to him, then repeated it louder.

 

She grabbed her coat and turned away, trying to ignore the bile rising in her throat and the urge to curl her hands into fists, to feel the blood trickling down her fingers.

 

She ran out of the door. Out into the cold. Out into old memories, old feelings that boiled up to the surface despite her attempts to stop them.

 

She ignored his heavy footsteps running after her, she ignored his shouts and pleas to come back. She just ran.

 

Into the winter snow, into the darkest days she knew.

 

–

 

_She should have known from the start that it was a mistake. She shouldn't have even said yes to him, should have known from the minute he walked in that he meant no good. But, she couldn't resist his charm, his way with words. So she said yes. Yes, to the devil, and she sold her soul._

 

_Chuck Clayton was not one to pick fights._

 

_That was the first lie she believed about her college boyfriend. Then, he started showing up later than usual, covered in cuts and bruises. Even in the middle of the day, he'd stride into her dorm room with a busted lip or a black eye, shrug it off, tell her it was nothing. And of course, she believed him every time he told her it wouldn't happen again. Every time he would pull her in and tell her that it would stop._

 

_But it didn't stop._

 

_It never did stop, and Betty Cooper was just as worried the next time as the last. She knew that something was going on. But one way or another, she still always got the same answer._

 

_It's nothing._

_And at some point, she guessed, she started believing it. That, or she stopped caring. She couldn't tell which._

 

–

 

Betty knew that this much exercise after so much time of barely any was most likely unhealthy. But it also reminded her of how much she missed the burn of running. The relief it gave her brain as she tried to push back the memories of her college years. Yet, it seemed that even with the burning sensation coursing through her, she couldn't stop herself from digging her perfectly manicured nails into her palms, savoring the feeling of control, of relief.

 

–

 

_The old habit of hers started in college after she had moved out and into the college dorms._

 

_Why Riverdale had a college, she would never know, and it was a small school for how small the town was, but she was glad to be so close to home._

 

_She had been roomed across the hall from Chuck Clayton, a new student who was obviously not from their small town. He had been sweet at first, even kind. Well-mannered, a true gentleman._

 

_That was the second lie._

 

_Over time, Chuck was no longer kind, sweet, and definitely nothing near gentleman-like. It started small, no longer holding the door open for her or pulling out her chair. Things that were barely noticeable. Then, they slowly progressed and went from leaving the toilet seat up to talking trash on her, not caring if she was there or not. Insulting her in the smallest ways that he knew would get under her skin. He would make comments in front of his friends that would get her flustered and annoyed all at the same time._

 

_Ignorant quickly bloomed into something bigger, something worse._

 

_She didn't miss the fingerprint bruises that left when he grabbed her wrist too hard or the sting of the slap that he delivered if she disagreed or argued. Then she realized, that this wasn't a phase, this wasn't something that was just happening in his life, this was his true self. This was the real Chuck, and the night that the sat at the booth at Pop's with his friends, as she stared at the door wondering if she could just make a run for it, he gripped her thigh so hard she knew that bruises would be blooming there the next day. He leaned in and whispered in her ears with so much malice in his voice, she felt shivers down her spine._

 

“ _You aren't going anywhere, baby girl.” she could feel the tears in her eyes. She was grateful nobody noticed. “Not with how much I love you, you're mine now.”_

_By then, the only thing that she could think, the only thing she truly knew, that whatever it was, it wasn't love that he held for her._

 

–

 

She found herself outside of the Andrew's house, but she wasn't completely sure if she had been running to her mom or to Veronica.

 

After a long moment, standing out in the snow, she decided and made her way to the Andrew's door, knowing that only Veronica would be there. Her latest suitors, Cheryl and Archie were both out of town, Fred and Archie were visiting Mary in New York, and Cheryl was in Greendale babysitting the twins.

 

Slightly reluctantly, she raised her hand to knock, the tears hot on her face, shivering and feeling broken.

 

As soon as Veronica opened the door and saw Betty standing there, she pulled her inside, rushing to grab a blanket and leading her to the couch. Veronica rushed around her, cursing under her breath, and once she returned she carried a steaming mug of tea, and Betty could have never felt more relieved that she had such an amazing best friend. She smiled as much as she could, grateful, and thanked Veronica. Trying to dry the tears that were cold on her cheeks. Ronnie sat beside her, wrapping her arms around her best friend and Betty could already feel the wetness returning to her eyes.

 

They stayed there for a while, just like that, Betty leaning into Veronica's embrace, crying until Veronica spoke up.

 

“Betty, how did you get here? What's wrong? Was it Jughead? I'll hunt him down and skin him, you better believe me.” she said softly, despite the seriousness in her tone, and despite her mood, Betty laughed wetly and turned to face Veronica.

 

“No, no it wasn't him.” she paused “Okay, so it kind of was, but it wasn't his fault... and I- I walked here. Ran, I guess.”

 

She didn't miss the look that crossed Veronica's face when she said that she ran to the house, and Betty knew what she was going to say next.

 

“From Jughead's trailer?” she asked suspiciously, and Betty's head dropped, her eyes lowering with it, and she nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

 

“Okay, Betty, why? What happened?” Veronica continued, grabbing Betty's hand gently after lifting her head so their eyes met.

 

Betty's voice lowered as she began to speak, she couldn't help how ashamed she felt of herself for leaving.

 

“He told me he loved me. And- and my brain stopped working and a bunch of old feelings came bubbling up to the surface and it reminded me so much of- I guess I just couldn't take it, I couldn't process it. I just told him I was sorry and I ran.”

 

Veronica listened to her speak, nodding as she listened, and she squeezed her hands lightly every time her voice faltered or a tear managed to escape her eye.

 

“Is this because of..?” She trailed off, knowing better than to say his name, having learned after the years of watching her best friend flinch when it came up.

 

–

 

_Betty couldn't wait for Christmas break. She couldn't wait to get away from this college, to get away from him. When she got out of her last class, when her break was officially started, she nearly ran out of her dorm room with her stuff and into the car where Veronica was waiting for her. Of course, she hadn't gotten out so easy, Chuck standing at her door waiting for her when she ran to it, ready to burst through it and far from here._

 

“ _Why in such a hurry?” he asked, bitterness lacing his voice_

 

“ _Home,” she replied, her eyes immediately going downcast “I promised my mom.”_

 

_He pushed her into the room, slamming the door shut with his foot behind him. His hands gripped her thigh, hard, pushing into the bruises that were already there._

 

“ _You better come back” he replied, low and menacing._

 

_He pushed her over and she hit the ground with a thud._

 

“ _I expect you back.”_

 

_Then he kicked her in the side, causing her to groan and clutch at her abdomen, and with a cruel laugh, he left._

 

_Her side didn't stop hurting for the rest of the day, and Veronica noticed the way she would wince with every movement._

 

“ _I'm so glad you decided to spend the break with me.” She smiled later that night when they prepared for bed._

 

_Betty smiled back at her and bent down to get her pajamas out her bag, ignoring the way her side burned when she bent down._

 

“ _I'm glad you let me stay.” she laughed, adding 'for more than one reason' in her head. She turned to Veronica and pointed to the bathroom, hoping she didn't look to suspicious not changing in the same room as Veronica after years of changing in the same locker room and sleepovers “I'm going to go change.” she said and rushed into the bathroom before she could say anything._

 

_When she came back out, Veronica sat on her bed, on her phone, not looking up until Betty shut the door behind her. But the view she saw was not one she expected, and she gasped when she saw her best friend's legs._

 

“ _Betty!” she exclaimed “Betty, what happened?” and when Betty gave her a questioning look, she pointed to the bruises on her legs, purple overlaying yellowish-green, blue blooming over them._

 

_Betty grimaced at the sight and shook her head._

 

“ _I just fell,” she cringed slightly at her own lie “It's nothing.”_

 

“ _Bullshit!” Veronica replied, rising off of the bed, and advancing towards her. Betty couldn't help the way she flinched as if Veronica were about to hit her. “Those are not from falling and both of us know it, Betty. Who did this?”_

 

_Betty didn't respond, she just lowered her head._

 

“ _Betty.” Veronica repeated, softer than before, but much more firm, more demanding._

 

_Betty shook her head, not being able to stop herself from crying._

 

“ _Betty, c'mon, it's only me. It's okay, you can tell me, I won't tell a soul, I swear, but you need to tell me so I can help you.” Veronica led her over to the bed and sat her down, then sat beside her and began rubbing her back soothingly. “You can trust me, who did this, Betty?”_

 

_Betty was silent for a moment before she broke into sobs until she choked out his name._

 

“ _Chuck.” she had sobbed “It was Chuck, he's been doing this for months.”_

 

“ _Your boyfriend?” Veronica asked and Betty could hear the anger that the brunette was holding back_

 

_Betty nodded_

 

“ _We'll get you out of this.” Veronica soothed as the blonde cried, and Betty nodded._

 

_Yeah, they would._

 

–

 

She nodded, and her best friend squeezed her hands again.

 

“Okay, what was going through your head when it happened? What were you guys doing?”

 

“Nothing was really going on... we were just laying in his bed when he said, and then all I could think of was the first time that- that he said it to me, the anger in his voice, and I could just feel all of these feelings all at once and I just couldn't take it V, and I... I just ran.”

 

Veronica nodded again.

 

“Okay, but before this happened, before he said it to you, how did feel about him?”

 

“I,” Betty's voice went softer, and she could feel her heart swell slightly, finally calm enough to think about what exactly had happened before she had been too scared to actually think about it, “I think I loved him, V. Or, I was at least falling for him.”

 

“And how do you feel about what he said, thinking about it now?”

 

A small smile crossed Betty's face.

 

“Relieved, happy. I feel... ecstatic. If I didn't before, I think I really do love him. Despite all the bad things that seem to surface with it, I really do think I do, V. I'm just... scared, I guess?”

 

“That's understandable, Betty, you've been through a lot. Just don't rush it, let it all move at its own pace.”

 

Betty nodded, and Veronica could see that she was anxious, ready to leave, and she could only imagine was going through Betty's mind right now.

 

“I'm going to give you a ride back if you want one, and there is no arguing about that, it's almost 8:30, pitch black outside, and snowing.” Betty nodded and stood, motioning for Veronica to do the same and smiling when she did. “One more thing,” Veronica added on their way to the door. “You need to tell him, B. Preferably soon, but he deserves to know. Just like Archie did.”

 

–

 

_Betty had never seen Archie so outraged._

 

_Archie Andrews had never been angrier._

 

_Veronica had stayed true to her word, not uttering a word to anyone about the things that Chuck did, but she had guilted her into telling Archie. Just as she had with Veronica, she showed him the blooming bruise on her side from where he had kicked her, and the fingerprint-shaped bruises that littered her thighs and upper arms._

 

_That had resulted in Archie storming about the apartment, entirely upset that he had let somebody hurt her, that she wasn't protected. That was not the first time Betty had seen Archie being so loyal, he had done it time and time again throughout the years, but she could see the distress in his eyes, the hurt, and she felt her heart swell slightly for how much her friends cared for her._

 

“ _When was the last time he did this to you?” he had asked when he had calmed down finally._

 

“ _Friday.” she responded quietly_

 

_That resulted in another fit of rage, slamming doors and kicking chairs._

 

_Veronica held her hand through the entire time that he went through it. Assuring her it wasn't her he was mad at. Betty just nodded, trying to hold back tears._

 

_When Archie calmed down for the final time, he knelt in front of her, his eyes full of unshed tears and sincerity._

 

“ _He won't ever hurt you again, Betty. Mark my words.”_

 

–

 

Betty stood outside of the trailer, staring at the flickering light on the porch. In the snow underneath her there were two sets of footprints, showing her the Jughead had come after her, reminding her. She took a deep breath, and walked up to the door, knocking on it. When nobody answered she tried again, and then once more before opening the door and walking in. The trailer was silent, the majority of the lights turned off. She made her way to Jughead's bedroom, finding it just as empty as the rest of the house. She grabbed her phone off of the nightstand where she had left it laying when she ran out the door.

 

Sitting down on his bed and ignoring the cold of the house, she unlocked it and called him. When he didn't pick up the first time, she tried again and sighed in relief when he answered.

 

“Betty?” he asked, unsure and out of breath, it seemed.

 

“Yeah.” she answered, closing her eyes and laying back against his bed, gripping the blanket in her free hand. “Come home.”

 

That was all he needed, assuring her he was on his way, he hung up. She stayed where she was, laying in his bed, until he arrived, bursting through the front door. Almost immediately, she stood and tried to ignore the tears that were already gathering in her eyes, then made her way to him. Nearly throwing herself into his arms, she let the tears flow, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He reciprocated, pulling her into him and holding her tight.

 

“I'm sorry, Jug, I'm sorry.” she pulled back and cradled his head in her hands. “I love you too. So much, Juggie. I love you too.” and without another thought, he leaned in and kissed her desperately. She pulled away first, smiling and ignoring the tears that she couldn't manage to stop. “I need to explain.” she whispered to him

 

He nodded and led them back to his bedroom.

 

–

 

_She had three weeks off of school._

 

_She planned to use those three weeks to her advantage._

 

“ _I need to become a serpent.” she told Toni Topaz late at night her first Tuesday off._

 

_Toni snorted and rolled her eyes_

 

“ _Why? What does a northsider want with us.”_

 

“ _Help.” Betty replied simply “Protection.”_

 

“ _And what will we get?”_

 

“ _First, another Serpent, second, one less northsider off your back. Not that I was ever on it. Third...” Betty had to stop and think, she hadn't thought this part through. “You know Archie Andrews?” she ended up asking, and Toni nodded._

 

“ _Yeah, that's one northsider we can't seem to shake off.”_

 

“ _I can get him to leave you guys alone.” she said simply._

 

_Toni nodded again “We'll think about it, Cooper.”_

 

–

 

_Right before the end of her break, Toni brought her back to the Whyte Wyrm and pointed at the pole._

 

“ _If you want to be a serpent, you know what you have to do.”_

 

_Betty nodded, feeling dread pooling in her gut, but she did know what she had to do._

 

_She came back the next night._

 

_But as soon as she was up on that stage, she felt all of her nervousness melt away._

 

_And even though that night felt right, she would always regret that part of her initiation._

 

_At least she had the protection she needed._

 

–

 

The two sat on his bed, knees touching and his blanket wrapped around Betty's shoulders. She took a deep breath and began.

 

“When I was in college, I had a boyfriend, we were together for a little over a year, my entire freshman year and part of my sophomore year, until after Christmas break of sophomore year.” she looked down and forced herself to speak again “His name was-” her voice faltered and she had to forcibly steady it “His name was Chuck Clayton. At the beginning, he was sweet, he was there for me. Then he wasn't. He wasn't anything but rude and ignorant. Then he was... he was abusive. He hit me, he insulted me, he said things that I can't forget.” she continued to look down, and he reached over and took her hand in his own, urging her to continue and fighting to keep calm. “He would grab me so hard that he would leave fingerprint-shaped bruises on me, he would kick me and slap me. He told me that I would never escape him, and to be honest, I don't think I ever would've if not for Veronica, Archie, and the Serpents.

 

–

 

“ _So, protection,” Toni asked, only minutes after Betty had received her Serpent jacket_

 

_Betty nodded_

 

“ _I'm gonna need to know what you need help with.” Toni ended up saying, rolling her eyes and Betty nodded again, and looked up at Toni._

 

_She shrugged the jacket off, and turned to her side, lifting her shirt slightly hesitantly and showing the bruise that Chuck had left on her. She then lifted her skirt and grabbed her water, pouring it on her leg and rubbing off the concealer that covered the bruises littered over her legs._

 

_Toni's eyes had gone wide, and Betty was glad that there was no pity there, only anger._

 

“ _There's one more.” Betty spoke quietly “Nobody has seen this one.”_

 

_She turned all the way around again to reveal a long scar that ran down her back, only a few inches from her spine. It had long healed, but Betty could still feel the phantom pains of the glass cutting into her when Chuck had shoved her back. The sound of him mocking her as she cried, his laugh as he walked away and left her bleeding on the ground._

 

“ _I'm going to have to tell the others.” Toni said quietly “You know that right?” and Betty nodded, pulling her shirt back down and wiping away the tears in her eyes. “If you need protection, Betty, you've got it._

 

–

 

“It was really the only reason I joined the Serpents.” she told Jughead, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder, smiling slightly as he wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her hand. But he stayed silent, too afraid what would come out if he spoke. “Toni had been with me the entire way through, she was the one who helped me turn him in.”

 

–

 

_Betty did her best to stride through the campus with confidence. Her head high as Toni and Sweetpea walked with her. She walked into the office with a confident smile on her face despite the feeling in her gut, the sinking feeling that nothing would happen to him, that she'd be called an attention whore._

 

_She requested to talk to the dean with a polite smile and reluctantly his secretary let them back. Toni and Sweetpea followed not far behind her, and as she got closer to the door, the phantom pains got worse, his laugh got louder. She did her best to ignore them and walked into the office, doing her best to smile at the dean despite the situation she was in._

 

“ _I need to talk to you about something...”_

 

–

 

She could still see the deans face when she had told him, still see Chuck's face when he was walked into the office by two of the campus security, bruised and battered. She could still feel Sweetpea's protective grip on her shoulder, a constant reassurance that she was doing so many people a favor when she was told there would be a court case. She remembered how she called Veronica and Archie that night, so relieved but afraid as Toni stayed in her dorm with her for the next few weeks 'for protection' she had said, and Betty couldn't argue with her. She remembered the way Archie had told her that he had come across Chuck before he was put in jail, during Christmas break, and how he had beat the shit out of him. The way she had yelled at him for it, but deep down she felt so loved, so cared for. She remembered when she had one the court case, how Chuck had been convicted and imprisoned and put on probation, then expelled from the school.

 

She climbed onto Jughead's lap and buried her face into his shirt to hide the fact that she was crying again, and he ran his hand through her hair soothingly before wrapping his arms around her.

 

It wasn't until she had looked up at him and wiped the tears from his face before leaning into his chest again.

 

“I'm just glad he's gone.” she murmured into his chest.

 

“As long as you're mine, nobody is ever going to hurt you again baby.” he promised.

 


End file.
